The purpose of this study is to determined if a lower back treatment would change the hip and knee muscle activities in people with and without anterior knee pain. The investigators hypothesized that the lower back treatment may change the hip and knee muscle activities in people with anterior knee pain but not in people without anterior knee pain.

Effects of Lumbopelvic Manipulation on Hip and Knee Neuromuscular Activity in People With and Without Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

Further study details as provided by Texas Woman's University:

Primary Outcome Measures:

Electromyography (EMG) [ Time Frame: The EMG data will be collected within 48 hours for all participants in both groups. On Day 1, data will be collected twice at baseline. On Day 2, data will be collected before and immediately after as well as 15, 30, and 45 min after the intervention. ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Pain Visual Analog Scale (VAS) [ Time Frame: The Pain Visual Analog Scale (VAS) will be assessed before and 45 min after the lower back treatment (lumbopelvic manipulation) for participants in the patellofemoral pain syndrome group on Day 2 only. ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Pain Visual Analog Scale (VAS) is a 100 mm continuous line between two end-points. The left end-point represents "no pain" and the right end-point represents the "worst pain imaginable".

Inclusion Criteria for participants in the patellofemoral pain syndrome group:

insidious onset of symptoms of non-traumatic origin

pain with patellar facet palpation or compression

subjective knee pain rating of at least 3/10 on the pain visual analog scale during at least one of the following activities:

ascending stair

descending stair

kneeling

squatting

running

jumping

prolong sitting for more than 20 minutes

Exclusion criteria for all participants:

history of spine, hip or knee surgery

history of hip pathology or other knee condition

current significant injury of any lower extremity joints

pregnancy

sign of nerve root compression

osteoporosis or history of compression fracture

Age- and gender- matched control participants will be recruited if they have no signs or symptoms of patellofemoral pain syndrome and have none of the exclusion criteria

Contacts and Locations

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Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01637480